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The views and opinions on this blog belong exclusively to Sam Barrington. They do not, and are not, intended to represent, reflect, or characterize the leaders and/or members of the Living Stones Church. Nor are the rants of this page reflective of my wife, three children, any relative, or the entire Barrington ancestry. These are thoughts that I have at the moment I write (it is a blog after all) and therefore moments later could change. Please hold no one, other than myself, responsible for the contents therein. (my wife made me do this)

My Fight in the Gym

Went to the gym yesterday morning and got in a verbal jabbing match with two gentlemen that are probably in their 70s. For weeks I have noticed that they each come into the gym, grab a cleaning bottle, and take it for themselves placing it on top of their treadmill. This is bad gym etiquette…confirmed by the trainers after our verbal sparring.

Why is this a problem? Because about 20+ people have to share 3-5 cleaning bottles in the entire cardio room and these two yahoos just took two of them for themselves!! I have watched people look irritated, perturbed, etc. but no one has ever said anything. Last week I actually watched four people standing there waiting for one bottle to be passed between them when the closest bottle was right in front of them…on the dude’s machine (meaning…it’s mine!). Same thing happened yesterday morning with three people on stationary bikes. So what do I do? What my personality seems to dictate (funny no one else in the gym had to do this…)

When I finished running my 26 miles I got off the treadmill and took the cleaning bottle off one of the guy’s treadmills. I asked (as politely as I could), “What is up with the two you guys always taking a cleaning bottle for yourself and putting it on the treadmill.” One guy was silent and didn’t say a word the entire time. The other guy explained he didn’t want to walk across the gym to get it. I explained we all have to share it. He said I could use it, I explained no one has access to it because it is on your treadmill. If you want it close by, at least put it on the floor by you so others can use it to. He also kept pointing at his friend saying, “He does it too!” (yea…like we are in the 3rd grade). I responded, “I know…I’m talking to the both of you!” He was in a huff and said, “Just take it!” So I did.

Well…this morning, these two guys showed up again (separate times). The guy who was silent the whole time once again grabbed a cleaning bottle and put it on his treadmill. BUT…a few moments later, a woman who was done, WENT UP TO HIS TREADMILL, took the bottle, and then when she was done, wouldn’t give the bottle back to him, but put it on the floor…and on the floor it remained (gym members for justice unite!!).

The other guy (the verbal one), actually came in this morning with three cleaning bottles that he purchased yesterday and donated them to the gym! In addition, he took a cleaning bottle, and instead of putting it on his treadmill, kept it on the floor (good gym etiquette). He might have been pouting. I don’t know. But the justice of my universe came back in alignment, so when I was done running my 47 miles I went up to him, thanked him for the donation of cleaning bottles, told him he was THE MAN, and offered to give him a hug (albeit it…a sweaty one). He declined.

70+ year-old men, having been properly reprimanded the young cleaning bottle crusader finished their workouts and – when trying to retrieve the bottles now left on the floor – lost their balance and fell crashing into gym equipment, fracturing their pelvises and no longer able to walk. In just a few short months their health deteriorated to the point that they were home-bound. And they wondered to themselves, “Who was that young whipper-snapper who sapped our strength from us?”

Yea…”Paul Harvey”…whatever. I know who “Paul Harvey” is and he happens to also workout at the O’Brien Center in the AM and has seen this injustice and has had much to say himself in regards to irritation and critique.

You only wish you had the guts to do stand up for what is right, true, and just…just as I’ve done… 🙂

Playground Crusader…the more I hear it…the more I’m starting to like it. Thanks Melissa (which if I had to guess…I’d of guessed you might share some of my crusading ways). 🙂

I totally know who you are talking about! Because how many 70 year old guys are at our gym?! I’ve never paid that close attention though to their bottle hogging. It cracks me up though that his reason for hogging the bottle is because he didn’t want to WALK ACROSS THE GYM. Hello! You’re at the gym to work out! And suddenly walking across the gym (and you know it’s NOT far!!) is just too much. ?!?

Oh boy, the things I miss from taking a week off of the gym to get rid of this cold!…